In the News

Fish Talk in the News – Friday, August 17

A school of pollock swim through a kelp forest atop the highest peak on Cashes Ledge, Ammen Rock. Photo credit: Brian Skerry/NEOO.

NOAA Fisheries announced that it will fully cover all at-sea monitoring costs for the Northeast groundfish fishery, specifically sector vessels, for fishing year 2018. Sectors will still contract with at-sea monitor providers and will be reimbursed by the agency. According to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, “Funds will also be used to support at-sea monitor training and equipment, to process samples, to continue development of electronic monitoring technologies that may reduce the cost of or improve at-sea monitoring in the future, and to cover agency costs for administering the program.” NOAA Fisheries also has additional funds to reimburse about 85 percent of the costs from 2017, more so than they had planned to.

Officials in Maine estimate fishermen landed nearly 7 million pounds of pogies, or menhaden, this year – more than double last year’s landings. As a result, the fishery has been closed. This is good news for lobster fishermen, however, who use pogies as bait. Officials attribute the high landings to “an usually large pogy fleet,” reports the Portland Press Herald.

The New England Fishery Management Council is requesting feedback via an online survey from fishermen and research partners who participate in research set-aside programs for Atlantic sea scallop, Atlantic herring, and monkfish. Other interested stakeholders should take the survey as well. A press release from the Council says, “The survey is part of the Council’s comprehensive review of RSA programs, which is being conducted by a six-member review panel…”